a team with purpose
Accession Therapeutics’ mission is to eradicate cancers by harnessing the immune system more powerfully than ever before. It is built around successful biotech entrepreneurs experienced in taking projects through to the clinic.
This team is supported by a Board comprising experienced international healthcare investors.
management
Ranjeet Babbra, BSc (Hons), MSc
Head of Quality & Strategy, Accession Executive Team
Ranjeet has over 15 years’ experience of Quality Assurance across the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industry and the NHS, with significant additional experience in project management, quality management and process improvement. A Chartered Biologist, Ranjeet has numerous QA qualifications plus a BSc (Hons) and MSc from the University of Westminster.
Dave Cole, D.Phil
Head of Research, Accession Executive Team
Dave is a recognised expert in immune-oncology with over 13 years’ experience, including research leading to the discovery and validation of novel drug candidates plus development of collaborations with academia and industry. In his academic career Dave worked as a principal investigator and Wellcome Trust Fellow at Cardiff University, where he also carried out postdoctoral work after he received his D.Phil in Molecular Immunology from the University of Oxford.
Andrew ‘Jez’ Gerry, PhD
COO, Accession Executive Team
Jez is a leading immune-oncologist with expertise in preclinical safety and efficacy testing strategies for engineered cell therapies, engineered T cell receptors and novel immunotherapies for cancer, with over 14 years' experience at Adaptimmune Therapeutics. Jez obtained his PhD from The University of Reading in Cell and Molecular Biology.
Bent Jakobsen, PhD, FMedSci
CEO, Accession Executive Team, Founder and Board Director
Bent is a pioneer of T cell receptor therapy for cancer with over two decades’ experience of establishing and providing scientific direction to leading T cell receptor companies such as Adaptimmune Therapeutics and Immunocore (both now listed on NASDAQ). In his academic career, Bent was Head of the Immune Receptor Group at the Oxford Institute of Molecular Medicine (1993 to 2000) and prior to this worked for the Danish Natural Research Council and at the Laboratory of Molecular Biology of the Medical Research Council in Cambridge.
Stephanie Bewick, PhD
CBO, Accession Executive Team
Stephanie has over 20 years’ experience in business development with a proven track record in negotiation of in- and out-licensing deals, setting business strategy, and raising capital in biotech companies including Mayne Pharma, Summit Therapeutics and Destiny Pharma. Stephanie has experience from the research up to Phase 3 development and has worked with multi-cultural teams in Europe, US and Asia Pacific. She has a PhD from University of Bristol and a BSc (Hons) from the University of Edinburgh.
Nick Cross
CFO and Executive Chairman
Nick is a serial entrepreneur and investor with considerable Board experience in both the biotech and high tech sectors. Nick has co-founded and served as the Chairman of a number of companies including Immunocore PLC, Adaptimmune PLC, Oxford Asymmetry International PLC (now part of Evotec) and Oxford Semiconductor Ltd (now part of Toshiba).
Andy Johnson
Head of Chemistry, Manufacturing and Control, Accession Executive Team
Andy has over 20 years’ experience leading CMC in the biotechnology sector at Immunocore, Medigene, Avidex, Lonza and British Biotech. Andy has led CMC activities for several novel immuno-oncology products from Phase I to commercialisation.
David Krige, PhD
Head of Translational Science, Accession Executive Team
David has 20 years’ experience leading translational science and oncology programmes across biotech companies and charities including PsiOxus, Immunocore and Cancer Research UK, with specific experience in clinical viral products. He has a PhD in Biochemistry from the University of London.
Hardev Pandha, MB ChB, FRCP, FRACP, PhD, FRSB
Medical Director, Accession Executive Team
Hardev is a clinician scientist and medical oncologist with over 20 years’ experience leading clinical studies in oncology, including several viral products. He trained in medicine in Birmingham and London.
Alan Parker, PhD
CSO and Founder of Trocept
Alan is an expert in viral gene delivery, particularly in the oncology setting, having worked in the field for almost two decades following a PhD at the University of Birmingham. He is Professor of Translational Virotherapies at the School of Medicine, Cardiff University, where his work is funded by Cancer Research UK, Cancer Research Wales and Tenovus Cancer Care amongst others.
board
Nick Cross
CFO and Executive Chairman
Nick is a serial entrepreneur and investor with considerable Board experience in both the biotech and high tech sectors. Nick has co-founded and served as the Chairman of a number of companies including Immunocore PLC, Adaptimmune PLC, Oxford Asymmetry International PLC (now part of Evotec) and Oxford Semiconductor Ltd (now part of Toshiba).
Bent Jakobsen, PhD, FMedSci
CEO, co-founder and Board Director
Bent is a pioneer of T cell receptor therapy for cancer with over two decades’ experience of establishing and providing scientific direction to leading T cell receptor companies such as Adaptimmune Therapeutics and Immunocore (both now listed on NASDAQ). In his academic career, Bent was Head of the Immune Receptor Group at the Oxford Institute of Molecular Medicine (1993 to 2000) and prior to this worked for the Danish Natural Research Council and at the Laboratory of Molecular Biology of the Medical Research Council in Cambridge.
Hans Ivar Robinson
Board Director
Hans Ivar is a Director of Accession Therapeutics and CEO/ Chairman of Birk Venture, a Norwegian investment company focused on the life sciences sector. He brings broad industrial and investment experience from the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industry.
Johnny Zou
Board Director
Johnny is a Director of Accession Therapeutics and Co-Head of Primavera Venture Partners, the VC arm of Primavera Capital Group, focusing on early-stage innovative tech companies in artificial intelligence, the industrial internet, and healthcare. He has led investments in some of the world’s and China’s most innovative companies in areas such as AI drug discovery, genomics and next generation immunotherapies.
Yoke Sin Chong, PhD
Board Observer
Yoke Sin Chong is Managing Partner at iGlobe Partners.
scientific advisors
Associate Prof Dr Amanda Tatler
Principal Research Fellow, Nottingham University
Amanda is a recognised expert in the mechanisms driving tissue remodelling in chronic lung diseases (including idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, asthma, COPD) and viral infections (such as influenza, SARS-CoV-2). In particularly, Amanda’s research focusses on understanding the role of integrins in lung fibrosis, which has attracted major interest from pharmaceutical companies developing new drugs to treat this condition.
Prof Chris O'Callaghan
Oxford University
Chris is a recognised expert in human immunology and has made major contributions to understanding immune system function in many human diseases, including cancer, infection, atherosclerosis and autoimmune disease. Chris’ research focusses on the function of the molecules and pathways involved in the immune response and the role of the immune system and inflammation in disease with a view to accelerate the design of better treatments for human diseases.
Prof John Marshall
Centre Lead, Queen Mary’s University London
John is an internationally recognised expert in integrin biology and has played a key role in developing multiple integrin targeting agents for therapy and diagnostics. His research focuses on the biology of tumour invasion with a particular interest in the roles of the adhesion molecules expressed on the cell surface that mediate this process with a focus on integrins that are the principal family of adhesion molecules that mediate interaction between cells and the extracellular matrix (ECM).
